“Our teams worked tirelessly to reach a fair agreement that we believe focuses on academic excellence, supports our ability to provide learning and enrichment opportunities to improve the quality of life and standard of living for our students and our community, while valuing the faculty,” said LCC-MAHE President Cindy Storie.

LCC Director of Public Affairs Ellen Jones said the agreement received unanimous support from all bargaining parties involved.

“This agreement reflects the value that LCC places on its faculty,” Jones said. “It enhances faculty participation in governance.”

According to Jones, the agreement will create an academic senate comprised of the LCC provost, administrators and faculty. The senate will provide advice and input on academic issues.

Jones said the contract will also develop a new system for faculty advancement similar to practices in colleges and universities across the country.

“Instead of automatically progressing to the next level, employees must be approved through an application and selection process that includes peer review and administration approval,” Jones said.

According to Jones, the agreement also clarifies problematic language from the last contract, which is why it took so long to come to an agreement.

The MAHE ratification vote will take place May 16 through May 21, at which point it will be presented to the LCC Board of Trustees May 21 if it is ratified by MAHE.

Meanwhile, LCC is still negotiating a contract with its clerical, technical and support units.

“We’re hopeful for a settlement by the beginning of the next fiscal, which is July 1,” Jones said.

Rock the World will host a 5K race with obstacles June 30 and July 1 along with a world record attempt slip and slide, live bands and a beer tent. (Courtesy photo)

Families looking for fun this summer should mark their calendars Saturday, June 30 and Sunday, July 1, the dates for the Rock the World race in Fitzgerald Park, Grand Ledge.

According to Jenna Gorman, the communications coordinator for Rock the World, 3.1 miles of mud, dirt and hills await interested athletes, as well as live bands, a world record attempt Slip and Slide, and a beer tent.

“The first wave of runners is going to be at 10 a.m. on (June 30),” Gorman said. “From then on, every 45 minutes, there is going to be a new wave of runners until 5:45 p.m.”

Some of the obstacles for the race include: climbing a 14-foot-tall cargo net tower, climbing one’s way up the slopes of a “volcano,” and entering a 12-foot-tall pyramid from the top and exiting through the tunnels below.

At 7 p.m., participants will attempt to break a world record attempt for “the longest distance traveled on a Slip and Slide in one hour,” with at least 430 sliding down the 190-foot-long “Victoria Falls” obstacle.

According to Gorman, participants must be at least 14 years old to register for the race and 16 years old to register for the Slip and Slide.

“We are going to have a portion of our proceeds benefiting Ele’s Place as well as Medals4Mettle,” Gorman said.

Ele’s Place is a healing center in Lansing for grieving children. and Medals4Mettle is a nationwide nonprofit organization that gifts individuals fighting debilitating illnesses with medals donated from marathons.

Matt Dykstra, the executive director of Rock the World, said he hopes to raise enough funds to finish constructing the basement in Ele’s Place.

To donate to Ele’s Place and Medals4Mettle, visit rocktheworldrace.com and scroll to the bottom of the page for charities.

On Sunday, July 1, the first wave of 200 runners will start at 10 a.m. and launch a new wave every 45 minutes until 7 p.m., according to Gorman.

One example of the obstacles to be utilized involves runners grabbing a torch from a Statue of Liberty obstacle and navigating through mud pits with it.

According to rocktheworldrace.com, trophies will be awarded to the top male and female finishers in each age group. A special prize will also be awarded for the best and most creative costume, and numbers will be drawn for door prizes all day long.

“If you don’t want to run, you can come out and enjoy the live music for free,” Gorman said. “There’s going to be a beer tent, multiple food vendors and free activities for children who aren’t old enough to run in the obstacle race.”

GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney spoke at Dart Auditorium May 8 about the new direction he would take America if he was elected president. (Photo by Nathan Wilson)

It isn’t everyday students and faculty see Secret Service on LCC’s campus.

Hundreds turned out May 8 to await the arrival of presumptive GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney at LCC’s Dart Auditorium.

Romney was met with raucous applause by the capacity crowd of nearly 500 people in the auditorium as he walked on stage around 12:30 p.m.

He began by discussing his bond with Michigan. He said he lived in East Lansing for six years while his father was governor.

The discussion quickly turned to discussing the economic plight facing Michigan and the president’s role in its progress.

“The last few years have been hard on the people of Lansing and, frankly, they’ve been hard on the people of America,” Romney said. “And in the Obama economy, some of the hardest hit have been those in the middle class.

“In (Obama’s) campaign kickoff speech just last week, he asked us not to think about the last four years,” Romney continued. “The president’s plea to forget the last four years is actually his latest effort to escape responsibility for the failures of the last four years.”

Romney also took a jab at a cartoon produced by the Obama White House. “The Life of Julia,” featured on Obama’s website, illustrates how his policies would allegedly help one woman progress from birth to death.

“What does it say about a president’s policies when he has to use a cartoon character rather than real people to justify his record?” Romney quipped.

Mitt Romney (left), flanked by Secret Service, greets supporters after his speechi n Dart Auditorium May 8. (Photo by Nathan Wilson)

Romney also outlined his vision for a new direction for America, including repealing and replacing “Obamacare,” developing health care to work more like a consumer market, and applying greater application of technology in schools.

“I’m convinced if we take an entirely new direction in energy and trade policy and labor policy, we’re going to see more manufacturing jobs come back to America than those that have left America,” Romney said.

“We’re not the victim of forces out of our control. We can choose our destiny. We are, after all, Americans.”

According to Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder, who introduced Romney, this is the first time Romney has returned to Michigan since the state’s February primary.

“We showed we could lead the way during the primary,” Snyder said. “It’s time to show that leadership again by Michiganders standing up to say, ‘We know the right person to lead our country.’ He’s with us today.”

Check out video footage at The Lookout’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/lcclookout.

LCC students are expected to gain access to the new portal system "myLCC" July 2012. By fall semester, myLCC is expected to completely replace Star Port. (Courtesy photo)

Students logging into Star Port may soon find they have an easier time navigating content and accessing information.

In fact, they will probably realize they aren’t using Star Port anymore, but an updated portal called myLCC.

Zack Hoffman, the LCC portal administrator, said the college has been working toward transitioning to myLCC by 2012 fall semester.

“If you compare Star Port now to a lot of the things that other schools are doing on the web, it’s pretty outdated and we need to get it a refresher … I think students will be able to use myLCC 100 percent come July.”

According to Hoffman, the portal appearance will undergo a complete overhaul to appeal to users. The layout will also be more pleasant to navigate.

“From the moment (users) log in, they’ll notice that the content and the information that’s out there is very fresh,” Hoffman said.

“We’re going to have announcements coming out; we’re going to have news out there. The Lookout’s RSS feed is actually embedded right on the main page of the new portal over on the right column.”

Another innovative feature of myLCC is individual customization. According to Hoffman, users can pick and choose components from various pages and add them to “My Page.”

Users logged in to myLCC will automatically gain access to Self Service Banner, Internet Native Banner, Desire2Learn, Gmail and other services newly integrated with the portal.

Jody DuBeau, the former president of LCC’s American Marketing Association, was involved in the focus group to test myLCC.

“(myLCC) is designed to be constantly updated and it is a great collection of the hottest functions used from outside sites,” DuBeau said.

“There is even an option where you can build your own page to have your most used items in one spot. It is a very exciting transition and once people get into it, they will see the greatness created.”

For more information about myLCC, visit http://web.lcc.edu/mylcc/.

Dr. Dale Herder, LCC vice president emeritus, engaged the audience April 26 at Dart Auditorium with stories of his adventures and powerful insight he has gained. throughout life (Photo by Courtney Baker)

As attendees entered Dart Auditorium April 26 to attend LCC’s Inaugural “Last Lecture,” they were presented with a sealed document labeled “TOP SECRET.”

However, the audience was asked to postpone opening the document until the guest speaker Dr. Dale Herder instructed them to reveal its contents.

Holding many distinguished roles, from a commander in the Navy to LCC vice president emeritus, Herder had the privilege to share his life journey with the audience as if he were to hold his final lecture.

Herder shared his adventures with the audience and several turning points in his life, including his time on a Navy vessel at the age of 17. According to Herder, this period at sea eventually prompted him to attend college.

“There are two major variables in life,” Herder said, recounting a lesson he learned from several couples he met on his journeys. “One is money and the other is time, and only one of them is renewable.”

Herder also described how his trip to the republic of Georgia and the United Arab Emirates allowed him to see the world through different eyes. For example, a woman in Georgia asked to touch Herder because he was an American, and then she began sobbing for help from America.

“Through travel, I gained new eyes,” Herder said.

Finally, Herder asked the audience to open the top secret documents, which contained a lifeline. The attendees were asked to complete the lifeline and map out the goals they hoped to accomplish over the course of their future.

Herder was presented with an award at the end of the ceremony in appreciation of his participation in the Inaugural Last Lecture.

“Education is the key,” Herder said. “And you, dear students, are the fulcrum upon which the future pivots … Life really is the greatest of all adventures. Live it to the fullest as you serve the common good and keep the American dream alive.”

LCC employee Andra Price introduced Herder, who said she took his online writing class several times. “Among … his roles and titles and interests, there is one which I believe (Herder) is the most proud,” Price said. “And that role is teacher.”

Jacque Zalesak (left) and Brianna Fox from LCC's Early College Program enjoy the Wreck my Day infatable during LCC's Spring Fling April 25. (Photo by Larry Hook)

LCC’s annual Spring Fling drew hundreds of students to the Washington Square Mall at main campus April 25 for free food and fun.

Opportunities for fun were plenty, including a Bungee Run, radar baseball cage, Wreck My Day inflatable, drunk-driving simulator and Dumpster Diving. The first 250 students who filled out an LCC survey received a free lunch and a Frisbee.

An eclectic variety of music was played over speakers during the event, courtesy of LCC employee Augustine Martinez and LCC alumnus Victor Vasquez.

In addition to the student clubs and organizations on site, representatives from the restaurant Noodles and Company offered food samples.

“I didn’t know that (Spring Fling) was going on until my friend called me and told me, so I came back for it,” said Taylor Shepard, an LCC student interested in animation. “And my favorite (event) was the drunk-driving simulator.”

Unfortunately, Shepard’s virtual journey ended in a deadly collision with a semi-truck at 85 miles per hour.

Students who got behind the wheel of the simulation, sponsored by UNITE International, were also issued fake DUI citations.

Mark Bossua from UNITE International explained the private company tours high schools and colleges to heighten the awareness of the consequences of drunk driving.

Another highlight of this year’s Spring Fling was the Dumpster Dive.

LCC students sort out recyclables during the Dumpster Dive competition for LCC's Spring Fling April 25. (Photo by Larry Hook)

“We take trash from each of the four buildings,” said Dr. Beckie Beard, the LCC director of Purchasing and the chair of the Sustainability Advisory Committee.

“We have six containers and we pull out anything that’s plastic or pop cans, newsprint, any type of paper … and those are recyclables. Anything that doesn’t fit those categories goes to the landfill.

“This is supposed to raise the awareness of students and campus community of how much we’re sending to the landfill.”  The building with the least amount of recyclables in its trash is awarded a trophy.

Al Nowak, the director of Student Life, said he was excited about the student turnout.

“I think the survey and the food has been a big hit this year,” Nowak said. “We always try to have something fun for people, and hopefully, people had a chance to enjoy themselves today and get out in the nice sunshine and relax before finals.”

Video footage of the Dumpster Dive competition can be found at The Lookout‘s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lcclookout

(Left to right) Nathan Wilson, Amber Glomb, Courtney Baker, Dominick Mastrangelo and Shauna Stocken from The Lookout display their awards from the 2012 MCCPA conference April 21 (Photo by Larry Hook)

The Lookout staff returned from the 2012 Michigan Community College Press Association conference at Central Michigan University April 21 with 10 awards.

Perhaps the most noteworthy award given was first place for front page design by paginators Kaitlin Lutz and Michael Caterina.

“It’s great to be recognized, especially for design!” Lutz said. “It makes all the hard work and late nights worth it.”

Another testament to The Lookout’s quality was its third-place award for General Excellence.

Reflecting on the eventful year, The Lookout Adviser Larry Hook said he had a talented and versatile staff.

“I thought 10 awards was a very respectable showing,” Hook said. “I was especially proud of the first-place award for front page design and also the third-place award for general excellence.

“Getting an award for general excellence means the whole staff contributed, and it’s especially rewarding to win an award of that magnitude.”

Other awards The Lookout won included:

• Second place for sports feature photo (Michael Caterina);
• Second place for multimedia reporting (Nathan Wilson);
• Third place for sports news story (Dominick Mastrangelo);
• Third place for headline writing (Dominick Mastrangelo);
• Third place for online newspaper (The Lookout staff);
• Honorable mention for photo essay (Courtney Baker);
• Honorable mention for informational graphic (Kaitlin Lutz);
• Honorable mention for overall newspaper design (Kaitlin Lutz and Michael Caterina).

Mastrangelo, the 2011-12 editor in chief of The Lookout, said he felt like his efforts were vindicated by the MCCPA awards.

“I found myself doing a lot of different things this year and sometimes when you get so far strung out, you don’t have the time to work on projects as hard as you might,” Mastrangelo said. “Sports writing is something I’ve always enjoyed … so I was very happy to have won an award in that category.”

Major changes are coming to LCC’s Department of Food Service and Campus Dining Division.

LCC Director of Public Affairs Ellen Jones has confirmed the Kennedy Cafeteria in the Arts & Sciences Building, as well as Blimpie and Freshen’s in the Gannon Building, will be permanently closed at the end of spring semester May 4.

Blimpie and Freshen’s will be replaced by Benne Pizza and Wraps & More, currently located in Kennedy Café, starting June 4.

“We are going to have some new and exciting dining options for students,” Jones said. “We recognize that Kennedy Café has served as a place for students and faculty to hang out and study. We are looking into options to provide an alternative place for those sorts of things to happen.”

Because of planned renovations to the Arts & Sciences Building this summer, it was not immediately clear where a replacement study/lounge. However, sources close to the planning say it will most likely be in the Gannon Building.

When the fall semester starts, Campus Dining will open a Previsions On Demand, or “POD” station, on the first floor of the TLC Building. At the POD, Campus Dining will offer salads, sandwiches and other fresh options to customers.

“It’s going to be sort of like a little food kiosk in an airport,” Jones said. “I think it will be pretty well-received.”

In addition, popular coffee vendor Java City in the Gannon Building will be expanded over the summer, Jones explained.

James Gray, director of Food Service for LCC, had little comment on the situation but said he looks forward to marinating a positive relationship with the college.

“We are happy to continue to grow and change with the college,” Gray said. “We want to work with them as much as possible.”

James Kramer (right) and Conner Brown (center) demonstrate their award-winning robot during the April 16 LCC Board Meeting. (Photo by Courtney Baker)

For those who attended the LCC Board of Trustees meeting April 16, they couldn’t set foot in the room without spotting a large robot on display.

Star-TREC (Star for LCC’s mascot and TREC for The Robotics Early College) was the highlight of the evening.

Composed of 12 students from LCC’s Early College program and Holt High School, the Treccies invested numerous hours in constructing their robot to enter in the FIRST Robotics Competition.

Having never built a robot before, Star-TREC emerged triumphantly from the competition with five major awards and a ranking of seventh place in the state finals.

According to the Early College Director Kristine Grunwald, the team came in first place at the Kettering University competition as part of a winning alliance with other more experienced teams. This earned them the Rookie Inspiration Award and a first place banner.

The robot competed against other teams’ robots to shoot basketballs and score points on a court.

“The really unique feature was this is the first rookie team that has been invited to go to the nationals,” Grunwald said. “Because of their own initiative, they … are able to compete at the national level in St. Louis in two weeks.”

The FIRST Robotics Competition: World Championship will take place in St. Louis, MO. from April 25-28, where Star-TREC will compete for $15 million in scholarships.

James Kramer, the captain of Star-TREC, demonstrated the robot’s abilities and explained the need for a robotic arm they could manipulate.

“Our type of drive on it is essentially a tank drive … so basically it has zero radius turns,” Kramer said. “We can spin on a dime.”

The LCC Board of Trustees made a motion during the board meeting to fund Star-TREC’s trip to St. Louis at a cost of $8,000. The board unanimously approved the motion to the thunderous applause of the audience.

LCC Trustee Robin Smith commended the robotics team for their achievement.

“The gracious professionalism of the students was wonderful to hear in the meeting, and to see now that what they’ve done has exceeded beyond their expectations,” Smith said. “I’m really excited and so very proud.”

Video footage of the robot can be found on The Lookout’s official Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/lcclookout.

(Left to right) Richard Doucette, Jamie Brehob, Tyrone Liggons, Jody DuBeau, Bill Motz and Zach Basler show off their awards from the International AMA Collegiate Conference in New Orleans. LCC-AMA took home silver chapter third place, an honorable mention for fall marketing week activities and eight AMA Saves Lives awards. (Courtesy Photo)

LCC may be the only community college active in the American Marketing Association, but that didn’t stop them from ranking third in the nation at the 34th International AMA Collegiate Conference.

LCC-AMA traveled to New Orleans, La. where the conference took place from March 22 to 24. The annual conference is an opportunity for AMA members to network with business professionals, maximize social media and bond over fun activities.
Tyrone Liggons, the vice president of LCC-AMA, said their chapter was awarded silver recognition for the third consistent year in a row. In addition to this honor, they received honorable mention for fall marketing week activities.

“We also received eight awards for AMA Saves Lives, which was a monthly and semester campaign,” Liggons said. “LCC-AMA is amongst the top five schools each year.”

According to marketingpower.com, this year’s conference drew record attendance with 1,391 guests. 1,181 students from 142 different universities across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico journeyed to New Orleans for the exciting conference.

LCC-AMA was represented at the conference by Liggons, Jody DuBeau, Richard Doucette, Zach Basler, Jamie Brehob and Bill Motz.

“For me it was very surreal and exciting that we placed that high again, and all the work that we did throughout the year was worth it,” Liggons said.

Doucette, the LCC-AMA vice president of professional development, said New Orleans was a great experience.

“I’ve never been to the conference before and to be there for the first time was an eye-opening opportunity for me,” Doucette said. “We have a lot of potential here at LCC and I think we could shoot for higher goals for next year.”

For more information about opportunities at LCC-AMA, visit www.lcc.ama.com.